Oboz

Dec 28, 2022

Oboz is an American footwear retailer that believes in the transformative powers of nature. The multinational company creates casual and hiking shoes for women and men.

Oboz also makes outdoor shoes for backpacking and the winter. The global outdoor, lifestyle, and sports company KMD Brands owns Oboz along with other brands Rip Curl and Kathmandu.

Oboz creates a wide range of affordable, ethical, and sustainable outdoor products. It believes that people and companies can leave the world better than we found it.

Oboz helps you explore the great outdoors in comfort and confidence. It uses premium materials and stays committed to welfare and well-being.

Oboz is working to improve its environmental footprint, from its clothing and gear right through to its buildings. It uses more sustainable materials to reduce its impact on the planet.

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Sustainability Rating: 4/10

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Category: Shoes

For: Women, men

Type: Sneakers, boots

Style: Casual

Quality: Medium

Prices: $$

Sizes: 6-11 (US), 3-9 (UK), 36-42 (EU)

Fabrics: Cotton, polyester, nylon, spandex, leather, wool, polyurethane, rubber

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: No

Recycling: Yes

Producing countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Egypt, France, Haiti, Italy, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Vietnam

Certifications: BCI, RWS, RDS, FSC, B Corp

Sustainability Practices

Oboz only uses a small proportion of organic materials such as organic cotton or recycled materials such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon.

Most of its fabrics are natural without relevant certifications, such as regular cotton or synthetic petroleum-based fibers, such as polyester, nylon, and more.

Oboz publishes a list of all its manufacturers and processing facilities on the supply chain mapping platform Open Supply Hub. It aims to consistently consider the impact of its decisions on the workers in its global supply chain.

Oboz manufactures its clothes in many other East Asian countries, where human rights and labor law violations happen every day.

The shoe retailer doesn't show any labor certification standard that would ensure good working conditions, decent living wages, health, safety, and other crucial rights for workers in its supply chain.

Oboz has a code of conduct that applies to all its suppliers and subcontractors that aim to achieve decent and humane working conditions.

Oboz assesses compliance with its Code of Conduct by informal visits or third-party audits with or without notice. But many of its audits remain not fully transparent.

Oboz doesn't use exotic animal skin, hair, fur, or angora. But it uses leather and wool to manufacture many of its products.

These animal-derived materials are cruel and unethical. They also harm the environment by producing greenhouse gases and waste. More sustainable alternatives exist.

Sustainability Goals

Oboz has committed to doing business better. It aims for net zero environmental harm and 100% of its product designed, developed, and manufactured using circularity principles by 2025.

Oboz prioritizes sourcing responsibly sourced materials for 50% of its range by 2025. And 100% of its apparel and accessories will be in preferred fiber materials by 2030.

Oboz plans to reduce its GHG emissions by 47% in Scope 1 and 2 and 28% in scope 3 by 2030. It aims for 100% responsibly sourced cotton by 2026. And all polyester will be recycled or recyclable by 2030.

Oboz aims to have 90% of waste to landfill diversion from its direct operations by 2030. It will make all packaging recyclable or made with recycled materials by 2030.